Football: Bears pick up speed athlete

Rivals.com has reported that Jeffrey Coprich Jr., a small but fast multi-purpose athlete from West Ranch HS in Stevenson Ranch (Los Angeles County), has committed to the Bears.

Coprich is 5-foot-9, 182 pounds, but boasts 4.46 speed for 40 yards. He is rated a three-star prospect by Rivals and categorized as an “athlete,” meaning his position is undetermined. But Coprich said he wants to play running back.

“I want to be their next big star,” Coprich, Jr., told Rivals. “I want to be like Jahvid Best and Shane Vereen. I know the legacy they put up, playing running back. All of them have gone to the NFL, so I want to live up to that.”

Elsewhere . . .

– Florida State commit LB Markuss Eligwe of Stone Mountain, Ga., who visited Berkeley last weekend, is giving Cal fans hope with this twitter post: “I won’t be signing on National Signing day. I will be signing on the 6th. FSU. CAL” Eligwe, who committed to FSU last April, told Scout.com: I just need more time. It will be Florida State or California.”

— Which, of course, brings us to Shaq Thompson, who made an unofficial visit to Washington over the weekend. Here’s an update on his situation. Thompson said today he plans to announce his school on Wednesday at 8 a.m.

— Wideouts Jordan Payton and Kenny Walker of Kennedy-Richmond (both Cal commits) also visited UW, and Walker plans to announce his latest decision Monday afternoon. Payton tweeted that he will make an annoucement on Tuesday.

— Cal commit Cedric Dozier, a four-star athlete from Lakewood, Wash., was believed to be considering UW. But he canceled his visit to Seattle over the weekend and is being pursued by new Washington State coach Mike Leach, who wants to make him a wideout and use him in a pass-happy offense. The Seattle Times is reporting that Dozier will decide Tuesday between Cal and WSU.